. . . Block chain. info is quirky for a new user like myself and takes a little while to sync . . .
As has already been pointed out, you are confusing
https://blockchain.info/wallet/ with "The Blockchain" which the reference client Bitcoin-Qt has to download/sync.
I set up a blockchain.info wallet yesterday. It took be about 75 seconds to set up a completely anonymous wallet. Nothing to install on my computer, nothing to sync, no personally identifying information required (no email address, no name, no mailing address, etc).
blockchain.info/wallet allows you to maintain control of your wallet file (they send you a backup whenever you want). So if they suddenly cease to exist, you can still access your bitcoins by loading the information from that wallet file into another client.
blockchain.info/wallet only stores an encrypted copy of your wallet on their servers, so the people who run the site are unable to spend/steal your bitcoins.
Of all the wallets mentioned here so far (Bitcoin-Qt, Electrum, Multibit, WalletBit, and blockchain.info), blockchain.info/wallet is the only one that is a web hosted wallet. All the others require you to install a program.